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Smoker's Delight

Smoker's Delight

Simon Peterson

Hot-smoked trout.

Due to their manageable size, even texture, and awesome flavor, trout are a perfect fish to hot-smoke. Great for a meal or an appetizer, smoked trout can also be combined with a plethora of other dishes including cheeses, soups, dips, and salads. Hot-smoking, with a higher temperature maintained throughout the smoking process, fully cooks the trout and adds powerful flavor; whereas cold-smoking is a slower method that preserves the fish, rather than simply cooking and flavoring it.

Hot-smoking is most excellent because it’s simple. Small-to-medium trout can be smoked whole, and thanks to the low, slow cooking process, the bones separate from the meat, making them easy to remove if you don’t filet the fish. Either way, it’s best to keep the skin on to keep the meat from drying out.

While there are a few schools of thought on what type of salt to use, I prefer pickling or kosher salt, as iodized salt can add a metallic flavor and turn the flesh a dingy color.

DirectionsClean trout prior to the brining process. Once prepped, lay the trout open in a glass cooking pan or plastic container—do not use metal as that can affect the flavor. Mix the brine in a separate bowl and pour over the fish, covering completely. Cover and place in the fridge 8-10 hours and ideally overnight.

Preheat your smoker to 225 F. Traditionally, alder is used with smoked fish and adds an outstanding flavor. If alder isn’t available, use a mild wood such as applewood or oak. Remove trout from brine and rinse in cold water. Pat dry, then place the trout on smoker racks in a manner that allows the smoke to get to the insides of the fish.

Smoke for 1-4 hours. After an hour, the trout will be juicy, tender, and ready to eat, but it won’t have the robust, caramelized flavor that will be attained after four hours of smoking. Since the fish isn’t preserved with this method, it needs to be refrigerated if you don’t serve it immediately. It will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator and can also be frozen for months. If freezing, remove the skin and bones.